1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a device for delivering bulk material consisting of individual products stored in a supply container to a transfer unit, which transfers the individual products into the pockets of a continuously or cyclically moving web of sheeting. The device is provided with a perforated plate arranged replaceably downstream of the product outlet of the supply container on a base stand.
2. Description of the Related Art
These types of devices are known in practice. They are used in conjunction with thermoforming machines as part of the filling station, which effectively loads the individual products at high speed into the pockets in the web of sheeting which have been created in preceding work stations of the thermoforming machine. This requires that the individual products, made available as bulk material, be individuated, for which purpose the individual products are dispensed from the supply container through the product outlet onto the perforated plate. The holes of the perforated plate are adapted to the size of the individual products in such a way that intact, undamaged individual products remain on the perforated plate, whereas dust and breakage are discharged through the holes.
The dependence of the size of the holes of the perforated plate on the size of the individual products means that the perforated plate must be a so-called “format” part, i.e., it must be replaced whenever the “format” of the product changes. In the case of the previously known devices, clamping screws acting on one of the long sides of the perforated plate press the other long side of the plate against a strip, which is provided with a groove for the positioning of the perforated plate. This makes cleaning difficult, and in the case of large perforated plates, it also leads to the problem of insufficient rigidity. The latter problem can be partially solved by increasing the thickness of the plate which in turn is associated with a significant increase in weight making it more difficult to replace the plate.